Norway's Coastal Kitchen

Treat your taste buds as you sail through one of the most fantastic 'pantries' in the world.

Published 01.20.2016

You are sleeping in your cabin, maybe just gone to bed after a close encounter with the midnight sun or northern lights up on deck. At the same time, local fishermen in Sigerfjord, Vesterålen, are about to go get their catch of the day - Arctic char. The deep, salty, cold Arctic Ocean, close to river estuaries with fresh water offers perfect conditions for fishing.

That same afternoon in the restaurant on board, this very same Arctic char is on your plate. Freshly caught, freshly served. And luckily, as the ship sails slowly along the rugged Norwegian coast you are closing in on your next treat. Visiting 34 ports, Hurtigruten ships have exceptional opportunities to get fresh produce from local suppliers, every day.

After a stop in the Norwegian city of Trondheim, for example, passengers can enjoy an evening dessert of sea-buckthorn (a type of berry) and aquavit (a spiced spirit) ice cream produced by Gangstad Gårdsysteri dairy. Other menu items include cured leg of lamb from Hellesylt, a town near the picturesque Geirangerfjord, and roast reindeer from Finnmark.

And food experiences on Hurtigruten do not only come in the restaurant. A big part of Norway's Coastal Kitchen is also activities on board that include food. One example is the cloudberries we serve on deck in autumn. They are handpicked and delivered on board by a local woman in Finnmark.

Based on the season’s best ingredients, our chefs create either three-course dinners or lavish buffets. Being a coastal voyage, seafood often dominates the menu, accompanied with fresh vegetables and delicately flavored sauces. Each dinner ends with traditional desserts, such as homemade cakes, puddings, berries, or sorbet. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style.